Pinteresting pairings for New Year's Eve bubbly

By Erica Streisfeld,
December 28, 2012 at 11:30 AM
- Last modified: December 28, 2012 at 11:31 AM

Left to right, an American sparkling wine, French Champagne and Italian Asti are all great choices for New Year’s Eve. Photo/Erica Streisfeld

Whether you're throwing a party or just attending one this New Year's Eve, there's a 100 percent chance of sparkling wine, and you'll need something to eat with it. So what do you pair with Champagne anyway? I've turned to Pinterest — my addiction — for ideas.

First things first. You may or may not already know that Champagne is like the Band-Aid or Kleenex of sparkling wine. Technically, only bubbly made in the Champagne region of France using the traditional méthode champenoise can be called "Champagne." There's also Cava from Spain and Prosecco from Italy, as well as many types of American bubbly, which are great Champagne alternatives.

I would stick to the brut and extra-dry varieties of sparkling wines, which are the driest ones. Even so, most of them have an ever-so-slight bit of sweetness that contrasts nicely with salty foods, making the wine very refreshing. You can also consider this rule of thumb: If it goes well with beer, it will go well with Champagne. That includes things like pizza, sausage, burgers and spicy foods.

Thanks to Pinterest, here are some suggestions for party pairings. Warning: I'm not responsible if you become a Pinterest addict like me. You should seek a 12-step program for that!

If you can swing oysters and caviar, go for it. But they are definitely not the only options that will pair beautifully with Champagne. Shrimp, crab, lobster and shellfish are all winners, such as these cilantro lime shrimp soft tacos. Smoked salmon is also nice and very versatile, like with smoked salmon, cucumber and red onion on rye toasts. And the big surprise is that sushi and Champagne are like a match made in heaven.